PITTSBURGH—Chatham University’s MFA in Creative Writing Program hosts a series of summer readings from local and visiting writers as part of its 10-day Summer Community of Writers workshop. The events will take place on Chatham’s Shadyside Campus from July 31 to August 10.

The following readings are free and open to the public. Book sales, signings, and receptions will follow each event. For more information, contact Erin Hutton at ehutton@chatham.edu.

PITTSBURGH—Chatham University announces a new exclusive partnership with EARTH University, an innovative international institution located in the heart of a tropical rainforest in Costa Rica. Graduates of EARTH University have the exclusive opportunity to enroll in one-year master’s degrees at Chatham’s School of Sustainability and the Environment (SSE). Designed specifically for EARTH graduates, Chatham’s one-year Master of Sustainability (MSUS) and Master of Arts in Food Studies (MAFS) programs will prepare students to address the complex sustainability and food system challenges facing individuals, communities, nations, ecosystems, and corporations around the world.

Chatham and EARTH University share many foundational principles. They both place a great importance on ethical values, entrepreneurialism, and a commitment to addressing environmental, social, and economic issues. Chatham’s sustainability and food studies programs are natural extensions of what is instilled at EARTH University. In coming to Chatham, EARTH graduates will be able to further develop their expertise in the U.S. context and complement their tropical experience with Chatham’s temperate setting.

Chatham was the only North American institution to receive a Sustainable Campus Excellence Award at the International Sustainable Campus Network ceremony on June 19

PITTSBURGH—Chatham University President Esther L. Barazzone, Ph.D., accepted an award on June 19 from the International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN) for excellence in integration at the fifth annual ISCN Sustainable Campus Excellence Award Ceremony. Chatham was the only North American institution to be honored at the ceremony. The ceremony was held at National University of Singapore, the host of this year’s annual ISCN conference, which brings together thought leaders from top-tier universities around the world for the opportunity to exchange perspectives and form global partnerships in pursuit of sustainability.

These ISCN Sustainable Campus Excellence Awards recognize universities for exceptional sustainability efforts in campus planning, integration with academics, student leadership, and exemplary building projects. Matthew Gardner, of the ISCN Secretariat remarks, “This year’s award winners have clearly demonstrated that the energy and ingenuity found in higher education can be used to solve the challenges of sustainability. It is an honor for us to provide global recognition for universities leading us to a brighter future.”

Chatham’s efforts to-date are leading up to this fall’s opening of Eden Hall Campus, the first academic community in the world built from the ground up for sustainable development, living, and learning. Designed to ultimately serve more than 1,500 students while producing zero carbon emissions and more energy than it consumes, Eden Hall will feature high performance green buildings and the latest in sustainable land, energy, and water management techniques. By protecting valuable watersheds, incorporating surrounding land and agricultural resources, and rehabilitating existing farm structures alongside developing new, green buildings, Eden Hall will be a one-of-a-kind venue for education, conferences, community outreach, and ecotourism.

The ISCN Sustainable Campus Excellence Award is the latest in a string of recent accolades Chatham has received for its sustainability efforts. Recent honors include the prestigious 2013 Climate Leadership Award from Second Nature, being listed as one of the most environmentally responsible colleges in the United States and Canada on the Princeton Review Green Honor Roll with a perfect Green Rating score for two consecutive years, earning an AASHE STARS Gold Rating, and receiving recognition from the U.S. Green Building Council, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the League of American Bicyclists. Since becoming a charter signatory of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment in 2007 and pledging to be carbon-neutral by 2025, Chatham’s square footage and enrollment have increased by 36 percent and 45 percent, respectively, yet has reduced its greenhouse gas net emissions by 68 percent.

The full list of this year’s winners of the ISCN Sustainable Campus Excellence Awards is as follows:

Excellence in Building: University of Gothenburg (Sweden)
Excellence in Campus: Lappeenranta University of Technology (Finland)
Excellence in Integration: Chatham University (United States of America)
Excellence in Integration: Anglia Ruskin University (United Kingdom)
Excellence in Student Leadership: Zhejiang University (China)

These awards are open to any college or university worldwide that has developed outstanding planning, construction, or educational projects that promote sustainability on campus and in the surrounding community.

About the ISCN The ISCN provides a global forum for universities pursuing sustainability across their educational and research missions, and operations. ISCN Members commit to sustainability principles and report their performance according to the ISCN-GULF Sustainable Campus Charter, which was jointly developed with the World Economic Forum’s Global University Leaders Forum. Founded in 2007, the ISCN features international awards, conferences, and working groups to promote best practice exchange. More information on the ISCN and its Members, can be found at http://www.international-sustainable-campus-network.org/.

ISCN Secretariat Matthew Gardner can be reached at matthew.gardner@isc-network.org and 617-330-5001.

About Chatham University
Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pa., has a long history of commitment to the environment and today is a recognized leader in the field of sustainability. Chatham is also one of only 22 schools in the U.S. to be named to The Princeton Review’s 2013 Green College Honor Roll and is mentioned in a 2012 Forbes article as one of the places contributing to Pittsburgh’s transformation into a destination for “green living.” Building on its accomplishments, Chatham is breaking new ground by building one of the world’s first fully sustainable campuses in higher education. Located on 388 acres just north of Pittsburgh, the new, Eden Hall Campus integrates sustainable development, learning, and living throughout its design. Here, students of all disciplines learn to solve complex sustainability and environmental challenges facing urban environments through immersion in a range of fields, including food and sustainable agriculture, energy and climate, water, design and planning, and community and health. Eden Hall Campus opens fall 2013. More information and a 3-D walkthrough available at www.chatham.edu/edenhall.